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Department of Plant Sciences

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Ecosystem function and conservation

Headline research projects for this theme:

Variations in phenol availability from decomposing macrophyte litter could enhance methane production from lake sediments with a major impact on global carbon cycling. Lead: Andrew Tanentzap

Stable isotopes define rainforest bryophyte distribution and montane bryophytes make a significant contribution carbon and water storage. Lead: Howard Griffiths

Tropical forest resilience: a repeat LIDAR survey of 300 km2 of Malaysian rainforest reveal widespread leaf loss in response to El Nino event but little mortality. Lead: David Coomes

Contributing research groups: 


Some projects will be specifically targeted towards defined UKRI Research Council DTP schemes, as well as being open for applicants applying to the University's Postgraduate Funding Competition or other sources of funding.

Potential applicants should always approach the potential Supervisor/Group Leader in the first instance to discuss eligibility.

Key to funding opportunities below:

  • GFC = Postgraduate Funding Competition,
  • NERC = Cambridge NERC C-CLEAR DTP,
  • OTHER = Other sources of funding

 

Title Description
Coomes Group: Using airborne laser scanning to track the impacts of global change on forest ecosystems GFC / OTHER
Coomes Group: Winds of change: understanding storm damage to forests in the face of climate change NERC / GFC / OTHER
Coomes Group: Getting epidemiological: applications of hyperspectral remote sensing to detecting, predicting and managing the spread of plant diseases NERC / GFC / OTHER
Coomes Group: A hard nut to crack: the evolution, ecology and conservation of tropical oaks NERC / GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: How can landscape structure be used to control crop disease? GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: Using citrus as a model for scaling control of disease at local scales to strategies for regional control GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: Tainted Love? Modelling the epidemiology, ecology and evolutionary consequences of pollinator-transmitted plant disease NERC / GFC / OTHER
Glover Group: Development of the light-focusing prism cells of California poppy NERC / GFC / OTHER
Glover Group: Iridescence in flowers – how and why? NERC / GFC / OTHER
Kromdijk Group: What can we learn from solar induced fluorescence signals to better constrain gross primary productivity? NERC / GFC / Other
Pellegrini Group: Nutrient limitation of tropical savanna-forest biomes GFC / OTHER
Pellegrini Group: The resilience of plant biodiversity to changing fire regimes GFC / OTHER
Pellegrini Group: Ecosystem and biogeochemical reassembly after fire on peatlands GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Thawing Arctic: productivity and sources of carbon cycling in small lakes GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Invisible world: the biogeography of molecular and microbial diversity in European lakes GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Exploring the role of fungi in mediating crop-weed interactions GFC / OTHER

The Department has carried out a comprehensive COVID-19 risk assessment process and has opened to allow research work to take place. To ensure the safety of our staff, a range of measures to reduce building occupancy and allow strict social distancing have been introduced, including increased cleaning and hygiene regimes. We are currently not accepting visitors so please continue to contact us by email until further notice.

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